CAG: Eight entities spent billions on procurement without contracts

The Controller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that in financial year 2015/16, a total of eight public entities procured works, goods and services without having any valid contracts with suppliers or contractors, TPJ has learnt. In his annual general report on the financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2016, which was launched recently, CAG Mussa Assad said that the entities broke the procurement law which directs a public entity to effect payment to a tenderer only as per terms of a procurement contract.“During the year, I noted cases of noncompliance with procurement law where eight (8) audited entities procured works, goods and services worth TZS 11,253,346,373 and USD 29,606,100 without any valid contract with the supplier/contractor,” the CAG said.He mentioned the entities as Ministry of Defence and National Service, Tanzania People’s Defence Forces, Fire and Rescue Force, Tanzania Police Force, RAS-Arusha, Immigration Department, National Electoral Commission, and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments. The CAG noted that there was a significant increase in this irregularity within the central government entities whereby in audit of last year, five entities made such procurement worth 5.21 billion/-.However, this is not the first time for the CAG to cite some aspect of public institutions breaking the public procurement law. In May last year, the CAG’s report on central government’s financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2015, revealed that 121 institutions that were audited, had procured goods and services worth more than 8bn/- which were not in their procurement plans, contrary to the law.